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(ModeL) J. MODOUGALL;

ATTACHMENT FOR PLOWS.

No. 280,493. Patented July 3, 1883.

5,60 54% V MWQ W UNITED STATES PATENT EEioE.

JAMES MODOUGALL, OF YORK, NEW YORK.

ATTACH M ENT FOR PLOWS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,493, dated July 3, 1883.

Application filed January 17, 1883. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES lVIODOUGALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at York, in the county of Livingston and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Attachment for Blows, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in plows, in which a carrying-wheel turning upon an axle is secured by a frame to the beam of a plow in such a manner that the wheel, when in operation, travels in the previously-made furrow; and the objects of my improvements are to afford facilities whereby the draft is lessened, the plow made to run steadily while at work, the wheel made adjustable both vertically and longitudinally, and having the wheel-frame so constructed that it may be made rigid with the plow or rendered flexible, at the will of the operator, and as the nature of the work requires. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which the figure is a perspective taken from the front wheel side, and showing the entire improvement, with letters to indicate the several parts of the same.

The plow is of the ordinary construction, and may be supplied with the attachment upon a woodenbeam, as is shown in full in the drawing; or a metallic beam may be used, as hereinafter explained; but as nothing is claimed upon the plow proper a detailed description will not be necessary.

In the improvement, A is a wheel of any desired or convenient diameter, and revolves upon an axle, A, which is bolted or otherwise secured to a longitudinal bar, B, preferablymade of metal. The axlebeing longitudinally adjustable uponthebar,the wheel canbe moved backward or forward as the work requires. This wheel when at work travels in the previously-made furrow, and is consequently placed upon the mold-board side of the plow. The longitudinal bar B has upon each end right-angled or nearly right-angled bends, (designated B,) which incline upward toward the plow, so as to clear all obstructions when a small wheel is used, but can be upon a horizontal level when a large wheel is attached. These parts B are hinged to the vertical bars I) b in such a manner that the wheel can be raised upon the arc of a circle of which the hinges are the center, but will not allow the wheel to fall materially below the plumb point. These vertical bars may be bolted, clamped, or otherwise secured to the plow-beam, and be vertically adjustable for different kinds of soil but usuallythe tread of the wheel should be on a level, or nearly on a level, with the bottom of the plow. In practice I only have the forward bar (designated 2)) made vertically adjustable, as the hinges are so constructed that they operate equally well whether one or both ends of the frame are raised or lowered.

To a fulcrum which may be fixed upon the upper end of the back bar (designated 1)) is attached, by a screw-bolt or otherwise, a handlever, O, by means of which the lock-bar D may be loosened, so as to allow the wheel to swing upward, for a purpose hereinafter described. This lock-bar D, as herein shown, is hingedto avertical portion, a, of the wheel-axle head, andhaving upon the under side, near the upper end, a spur or catch-piece, d, which rests underneath and against the rib E, and by means of which the wheel-frame is locked in a rigid position. In many of theplows now in use having metallic beams it is not necessary to use a separate rib, as the beam is provided with strengthening-ribs, one of which may be made to take the place of the supplementary rib used upon the wooden beam, as herein shown. The upper end of the lock-bar D is provided with a curve to correspondwith the upper face of the plow-beam, and rests upon the same, which is to prevent (in connection with the hinge arrangement) the wheelframe from sinking beyond the required level. If desired, the wheel may (by the removal of the screw-bolts F) be moved backward or forward upon the bar B, and the axle secured in position by the use of the several screw-threaded holes made in the bar for the purpose of longitudinal adjustment.

A large or small wheel may be usedby shortening or lengthening the lock-bar and modifying the frame, as hereinbefore mentioned.

When it is necessary to strike out a land or plow the first furrow, the rigid wheel-frame is IOO takes the soil the same as if no wheel were at- I Having fully described my i]1VOl1tl011,W1lth I tached. After the first furrow is made and a path formed for the wheel, it will by its gravity fall in place and become automatically locked. \Vhen it is desired to go a-field, the plow can be thrown upon the wheel by unlocking and throwing the plow upon the moldboard side, thus forming a carriage; or the frame may be locked as in work, and the plow be tilted so as to throw the entire weight upon the wheel, thus transporting the plow without injury to the surface of the ground.

It will be observed that the carrying-wheel in its use materially lessens the draft upon the team; and from its location so nearly in line with the point the plowis easilymanipulated, and the handles can readily be raised so as to cause the plow to dip and take more soil, which cannot be done when the wheel is attached at the forward end of the beam. The wheel to operate well mustbe centrally located.

desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent 1s 1. The combination of the wheel, the bent longitudinal bar, the axle, the locking-bar, the locking-rib, the catch, the plow-beam, and the hand-lever, all arranged and operating substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the wheel, the axle, the longitudinal bar having the rightangled or nearly ri ght-an g1 ed ends, and hinged to ver tical bars secured to the1 )low-bea1n, so as to give an upward movement to the wheel, for the purposes substantially as described and set forth.

JAMES MGDOUGALL.

\Vitnesses:

BUTLER \VAnn, (l. \V. FORD. 

